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The 7 Resurrections

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:Jhn 11:25

The resurrection; it is the ultimate day a believer looks forward too, allowing them into the presence of Jesus. It is the most precious gift.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrectionof Jesus Christ from the dead, 1Pe 1:3

There are two types of resurrections, one for the dead and one into life. “And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” Jhn 5:29

The word “resurrection” is only used in the New Testament and used in 40 verses; a trial of one’s life to determine which resurrection he will participate in, and all will participate. There are a total of 7 resurrections in the bible, and all of them are represented by the number 7 whether it be 7 days, months, years, or a combination thereof. There is an order to the resurrections, so let’s look at each of them beginning with the firstfruitsof Christ (1st) whom is the resurrection.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 1Co 15:20

But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 1Co 15:23

Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday fulfilling Zechariah 9.9 where He would experience His last Passover supper, betrayal, His Crucifixion, and His Resurrection 7days later. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” Zec 9:9.

At the time of Christ’s Resurrection, He took with Him “many bodies of the saints (2nd)“. These saints were a witness to the power of His Resurrection.

50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves afterhisresurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Mat. 27:50-53

It is not clear as to whom these saints where, but perhaps they were those saved before Moses and the Law, having righteousness imputed unto them because they believed. Those such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and others. And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” Jas 2:23

If these are the saints spoken of here, we can derive a 7 since it was about 4,000 years from Adam to Christ” and Jesus was in the grave 3 full days or the fact that Jesus began His ministry after baptism at about the age of 30 (Luke 3:21-23).

The next resurrection consist of two groups. Those remaining Old Testament saints (3rd); perhaps those redeemed by a substitute sacrifice while under the law until Christ died on the cross, and those dead in Christ (4th) (dead believers from the church age). It is also during this time that those living believers will have their bodies translated to eternal ones when the Blessed Hope appears!

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thess. 4:14-18

This Rapture/Resurrection will occur at the end of the Church age. We know the beginning of the Church age started with the death of Christ. “For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.” Heb 9:16. Opinions of the death of Christ range from 27 AD to 33 AD. It is an almost certainty the number of years after His death to this Rapture/Resurrection will be divisible by 7. The chart below outlines the possible dates using the range 27-33 AD for His death and 1981, 1988, and 1995 years after His death as these numbers are evenly divided by 7.

Example: 1981 years X 365.25 (days in a year) = 723560.25 days. You can use this date calculator to confirm the date ranges given in the chart.

The Next resurrection consist of the two witnesses of Revelation (5th). In this case we use the 3.5 years they are told to witness plus the 3.5 days they lay dead in the street to obtain the 7!

And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. Rev 11:3

And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. Rev. 1:7-11.

The martyred Tribulation Saints (6th), Jew and Gentile are resurrected. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands;” Rev 20:4. This resurrection occurs at the end of the 7 year Tribulation.

In Revelation 20:10-15 we see the last resurrection in what is called the Great White Throne judgment (7th).

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

This resurrection is for the dead since the beginning of Adam that are unredeemed and they along with Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire. This resurrection takes place at the end of the Millennial Reign and at the end of the 7 thousand year plan God has for mankind.